


her evermore

by pinkell_ugh



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Vampire, F/F, Halloween, IruMatsu, Kaemiu, Rare Pairings, Tokomaru, Useless Lesbians, Vampire Turning, Vampires, do tags even do anything, every character is there they just aren’t all mentioned, soniaki, sonianami, the sdr2 characters are all animals, will be continued!!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-15 12:01:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20865875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkell_ugh/pseuds/pinkell_ugh
Summary: When rumors of a monster woman begin to circulate her village, young witch Chiaki Nanami is tasked with taking care of the so called “threat.” When she arrives, she finds out not all it what is seems. There’s no monster, just a lonely vampire princess. A very pretty vampire princess who Chiaki has begun to fall for.This is the story of a princess, stolen from her kingdom and held in the castle, trapped and cursed. It is the story of a witch, drawn to the castle by nothing short of fate. It a story of love, and of doom, of talking animals, and of magic. A fairytale, with a happy ending that’s hard to find.





	1. prologue

_Once upon a time there was a lonely, dark castle, hidden away in an eerie wood. The woods were avoided by travelers, and not many who entered came out. And those who did came back crying about the story of a monster who lurked in the castle, bound to woods. Always hunting, always stalking._  
_ But there is no monster. Once, long ago, there was. A greedy prince, who’s name was forgotten by history. He was inhuman, a vampire, as the story goes. He was cursed by a witch, a woman who had first hand experienced his wicked hunger for power. Forever, he was to remain in the castle in the wood, surrounded by everything he could ever want, except for love, and real power. The curse could either be broken, or passed to a new unfortunate soul that the prince could bite._  
_He never found love. Only a weary traveler, unsuspecting. For centuries, the cursed passed along, person to person, the story nearly lost, but the curse remaining._  
_Eventually the cursed reached an innocent girl, who thought she’d be doomed and bound to the castle forever.  
_ _This is the story of a princess, stolen from her kingdom and held in the castle, trapped and cursed. It is the story of a witch, drawn to the castle by nothing short of fate. It a story of love, and of doom, of talking animals, and of magic. A fairytale, with a happy ending that’s hard to find. _


	2. diary entry #1

_September 20,_

_He’s gone. He left me._  
_I can’t hold my hands still enough to write. They’re bleeding through the nightgown I tied them in. I couldn’t help it. It hurts so bad. My hands, my neck._  
_I broke them all except for the one in the grand hall. I used my own two hands. But there was no relief, I didn’t feel any differently, even after driving my hands into every mirror in this god-forsaken castle._  
_I tried to leave, but he was right. I am cursed now. Bound to this horrible land._  
_I don’t know how many times I tried just running straight out. I expected it to be like a brick wall like hitting into something and striking an invisible barrier. But it was worse, so much worse._  
_I’m alone. I’m all alone. I’m going to be here forever._


	3. chapter I

Someone was in the castle. The princess sat at the head of the long, empty table, enjoying her dinner when she heard the alien noise of the large, creaky door being opened. It should have been a normal, peaceful night. The setting sun filtered through the large windows, casting the room in a golden glow, and she was joined by all her animal companions. The door hdn’t even been touched in forever. She startled slightly, splashing a bit of soup onto the table. Around her, the animals began to whisper nervously.  


“Do you think it’s a hunter?” a chipmunk squeaked nervously, running up the princess’s arm and cowering on her shoulder.  


“Has it really been that long?” the honey badger asked, bored.  


“I think it might be, my friends. It’s been quite some time since the last one,” the princess replied sadly, setting down her spoon. “Here. I’m not even hungry.” She gently set the bowl on the floor, where it was lapped up by a large dog.  


She rose from the plush, high backed seat, and brushed down her dark dress in case here were any lingering crumbs.  


“I suppose we should get to it then. Where’s Gundham?” She asked no one in particular.  


“Here. And fear not, he’s no hunter. Some drunk perhaps, I suspect he’s just lost,” called a voice from the dark hallway. Out of the shadows dashed a small black cat, the one called Gundham. He trotted over to the princess and expertly jumped into her open arms.  


“Well then, we should see if he needs help. If he’s here then perhaps he hasn’t heard any stories,” she offered. Her companions murmured their agreement.  


Through their expansive and dimly lit home they went, led by the tall princess. In her arms was Gundham the cat, and on her shoulders were two small chipmunks. Above her flew several birds, and behind her trotted a honey badger, a deer, a peacock, and the large dog.  


A dull thud echoed through the halls, making them pick up the pace.  


“I see our guest clearly lacks manners,” Gundham sighed.  


“Perhaps he’s just clumsy,” the princess offered weakly.  


They reached the grand hall, standing at the top of the staircase that overlooked the spacious room. All was in order, aside from a man hunched over the bottom of the steps.  


“Oh dear, are you alright?” she gasped, gathering her dark skirts and hurrying down the stairs, companions following close behind.  


The man groaned and lifted his head. Below him, a puddle of vomit could be seen, making the princess wary to come close. She stopped a few steps above him, looking down, concern written all over her face.  


He blinked, eyes struggling to focus on her.  


“Well hello there,” he said, words slurring together as his eyes drooped. He reached for the banister, arm falling short once, then twice, then three times before he grabbed hold and attempted to pull himself up. His smell hit her nose, then the animals, as they murmured their annoyance.  


“Are you, ah,” she gagged. “Are you alright?”  


“I am now,” he grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. “Say, you’ve got pets! Hey doggie doggie.” He reached an arm out to the large wolf, who snapped his jaws threateningly at the outstretched hand.  


The princess stayed silent, observing. He didn’t seem to pose as any threat; he was clearly intoxicated out of his mind. She decided he was harmless, but also not welcome.  


“I think you’re lost. Here, let me show you out,” she offered politely, taking a slow step down.  


Suddenly the man cried out. “Not yet? I just got here,” he whined, and spread his arm in a weak attempt to keep her from passing. She could’ve easily have pushed past him, had it not been for his stench.  


“This isn’t where you live. It’s time to go home now,” she said gently and slowly, speaking as if to a small child.  


“I know that.” He crossed his arms. “They toooold me to come here. Said there was a monster or something. Do you know any monsters?”  


The princess blinked, just staring at him. “Shall I escort you out? You’re clearly intoxicated.”  


“No!” he cried, and threw himself to the ground suddenly. He gripped her skirts, throwing her off balance. Had it not been for the sudden actions of the dog, biting the back of her dress and tugging her backwards, she would have tumbled down the stairs instead of just landing on her behind.  


“Excuse me-!” she started to yell, but froze. He had hold of her legs, and was looking straight at her with red rimmed, droopy eyes. His hands were clammy and hot, alien on her cold legs.  


“There’s no monster, so I guess I don’t need to worry,” he slurred.  


She stayed frozen, hands on the cold steps and knuckles white around the angled marble. She was trembling, shaking. Her core was numb, an all too familiar sensation she thought she’d never feel again. She couldn’t protest, every muscle seemed stiff and cut off. Her breathing quickened, and her lips began to shake.  


Not again. She’d told herself she wouldn’t let this happen again.  


Behind her ear, the dog growled, and she heard the flapping of the birds wings. With no warning, the smallest bird launched itself directly at the man, souring over the princess’s head and straight into the face of the man.  


“Unhand her you foul creature! You aren’t shit compared to her! You have no right!” the pigmy falcon cried in a deep voice. He flapped his small wings furiously and pecked at the mans face.  


The rest of the animals followed behind, attacking the man for putting a hand on their princess.  


“Stop, stop! Ah! Why’re you birds so mean! Stop!” he wailed, covering his face as he stood and attempted to run.  


Now that his hands were off of her, the princess rose to her feet and ran down the rest of the stairs furiously. Tunnel vision, she couldn’t see her surroundings. Just the mans miserable face and he swatted the animals, not moving with his back to the door as he shuffled away.  


“Get out! Get out, get out, get out, and never return!” she cried, striking him with her hand, long nails dragging down his face. She felt hot blood on her fingertips from the scratch, but she continued to repeatedly rake her nails over his face, screaming, until they’d both reached the open door. The man stumbled backwards, falling out of the doorway. Wasting no time, the princess slammed the heavy door shut, and slid the dead bolt in.  


Silence followed. The man must’ve left.  


Her legs seemed to collapse underneath her and she sunk to the floor, back against the door. Her face was hot and wet; she’d been crying, not even realizing it. With the back of her hand, she furiously wiped under her eyes and nose. Disgusting, stupid man. Why did she freeze up like that?  


The dog was sitting beside her, head cocked. He never spoke much, just provided comfort.  


“I’m alright. I’m okay,” she said, breathing shakily. He let out a little whine and licked her right on the face, making her giggle a bit.  


“There’s your magnificent smile. See? He’s all gone now! You needn’t worry!” exclaimed the little falcon proudly, puffing out his feathers proudly.  


“Yes, thank you. You’re all so brave,” she smiled at the birds and mammals around her.  


“What you do without us? Jeez,” the deer said, swinging his head and showing off his antlers.  


“I don’t know. I’d probably have gone crazy by now,” she sniffed, and opened her arms. “Come here, all of you.”  


Immediately, she was met with an onslaught of feathers and fur as her companions embraced her as best as they could, and the princess smiled.


	4. chapter II

There was shouting in the square, frantic, insistent shouting drifting in from the open window, pulling her from her peaceful slumber. She let out a soft groan and rolled over, tugging a pillow over her head, but it did nothing. The window was right beside her bed, wide open because of the nice weather.  


The shouting got louder as more and more people seemed to congregate in the square, almost directly outside her home.  


A soft rapping on her door contrasted the bothersome sounds of anger outside. It was her roommate, waking her up, per usual.  


“Uh, Chiaki? You might wanna get up. People are really upset,” a concerned, soft voice called from the other side of her door.  


She let out a long, dramatic sigh, and sat up, rubbing her eyes. If she tried to tune out the yelling, it would actually be a beautiful morning. The warm sun glowed softly through the lacy blinds, and a soft, cool breeze caressed her face. She closed her eyes, trying to savor the peaceful feeling for a moment more.  


“Are you up? I’m coming in if you’re not,” he called, and the doorknob turned.  


“I’m up, calm down, relax, Nagito,” Chiaki yawned. Her roommate was now in the doorway, buttoning his shirt. His platinum hair was still a mess, and his light eyes were rimmed with exhaustion. He looked no more awake then she was. “What’s going on?”  


She swung her legs over the side of her bed, pushing her pinked toned hair out of her face. “Did I do something? Did a potion go wrong, because I’ve told everyone a million times, everything I make is completely reversible and the directions are on the b—”  


“You didn’t do anything,” Nagito said with a chuckle. “But they’re expecting you to.”  


She blinked her sleepy eyes, and stretched her arms over her head. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it can wait.”  


“That’s the thing. They don’t seem to think it can,” he replied, nodding his head to the window. Rolling her eyes, Chiaki pushed the blinds back, looking out the open window.  


The first thing she saw was the man standing on the fountain ledge. He had long scratches up and down his face, and was covered in bruises and smaller cuts. He had his arms up and was yelling to a frantic crowd.  


“There’s a monster in the castle. Look what she did to me!” he cried. Chiaki noted the dark circles around his eyes, and his clumsy manner of speaking. She was honestly surprised he was able to stand on the fountain ledge.  


“Okay, so why are they outside our house?” she asked flatly.  


“They seem to think you can help them.”  


Chiaki rolled her eyes and stood, feeling fully awake. “Wow. I’ll see what I can do. Get out, I need to change.”  


Nagito laughed softly and pulled the door shut as he left. Faintly, the sound of his footsteps could be heard going downstairs.  


With a long sigh, Chiaki pulled her window closed to silence the shouting; it was too early for this. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stretched her arms over her head. The golden morning light illuminated her room. As she sat, taking a few slow breaths, stealing time for herself, she absently looked around her room.  


Papers upon papers were stuck up on the walls, large maps of places she hoped to visit, curling at the edges, and scrawled pages with handwriting only legible to her. She had sketches of flowers and plants and the parts they could be used for, and to-do notes she’d forgotten to take down.  


Yawning again, she opened her wardrobe, pulling out a plain blue dress and tossing it on her bed, along with a worn pair of brown boots. Catching her eye was the jar on one of the inner shelves, labelled ‘travel savings.’ She sighed sadly, giving the mostly empty jar an apologetic look as she shut the doors. She got by just fine, she and Nagito certainly weren’t poor. They could pay rent, they had enough clothes, they always had enough food. They were well off, but just enough so. She hardly ever earned anything extra, even during the illness season, she still had to pay to buy more supplies and herbs to make her medicines. She loved her job, and her abilities, but what sh really longed for was the freedom. The people in her town were fine, it was never anything more than a broken bone or a little illness. There were people all over she could help, as well as a big, beautiful world. But she was stuck here, in this little town. Forcing the bittersweet thoughts out of her head, she dressed quickly, and went to the bathroom to complete her morning routine. Same one as ever, dress, eat, open up shop.  


Life was frustratingly simple. It was just another morning. Not even the shouting excited her, it was probably something simple. One of the kids got sick and no one knew what it was. Or maybe someone broke a limb. Who knows? The reasoning for the crowd was probably just sheer boredom; it was something to do. Something to distract from the easy jobs and simple lives they all led.  
She sighed and made her way down the creaky wooden stairs, and met Nagito in the kitchen, leaning on the counter eating a piece of bread with jam. Chiaki joined him, grabbing a breakfast mix she’d made of dried berries and nuts, along with some juice.  


“So what’s happening?” she asked nonchalantly.  


Nagito shrugged. “You heard him. The woods monster.”  


Chiaki shook her head. “I bet he just got attacked by some animal and was too drunk to be able to tell what it was.” She didn’t recognize him, he was probably a traveler who didn’t know the unspoken rule not to go into the north woods.  


“I don’t know. Must’ve been a bunch of different animals then. Did you see him?”  


“Just the scratches, why?”  


“Yeah, there’s more than scratches. He’s been through something,” Nagito said, intrigue creeping into his voice.  


“Hmm.” Chiaki furrowed her brow. “So does he just want me to treat his wounds…?”  


Nagito shrugged again, then pat his month with a napkin. “Maybe? I truly wish I could help. But I have to go open the shop. I’m sorry.” He gave her an apologetic look, earning a wave of Chiaki’s hand.  


“No worries. I should go open too, before they get the pitchforks and torches,” she laughed softly, and gathered her things to open up shop, including her amulets and jewelry charms, her satchel of quick-remedies and powerful potions, and lastly, her floppy hat. It was old and the point didn’t even stand straight up anymore, and was patched in various places. It was weighed down by old flowers, kept alive with a simple preservation spell, and it constantly flapped down and blocked her vision. But she’d had it for as long as she could remember, and besides, the villagers seemed to take her craft more seriously when she was wearing the tacky hat.  


She made her way down the second flight of stairs to get to the ground level, where there was a small storage room with two adjacent doors. She entered the one on the left, to her small shop. She smell of earthy incense, old parchment and dried flowers greeted her and she took a deep breath. She didn’t like burning her incenses up in the apartment, because she knew it was Nagito’s favorite, though he’d never admit it. The sound of shouting was louder down here, but she tried her best to ignore it while she quickly made sure everything was in order. She watered her plants and lit her candles, mentally preparing her for the mob outside.  


A knock on the glass door made her drop her small watering can, spilling water down her dress. It was still early, they knew she wasn’t open yet. With a sigh, she placed the watering can down and went to the door, pulling back the curtain slightly to see who it was. A bright smile greeted her, pale green eyes looking directly into hers.  


With an exasperated sigh, she yanked open the door and pulled the visitor in, slamming it shut before anyone saw her.  


“Why didn’t you use the back door?” Chiaki groaned, making sure the curtain was shut properly.  


“I would’ve had to push more people out of the way to get through. You’re welcome for the flowers.” Her friend rolled her eyes, holding out a bouquet of bright flowers.  


“Thank you Komaru. I’m sorry, it’s just a little irritating. They could’ve waited until noon for this. It’s not exactly what I felt like waking up to this morning,” Chiaki sighed, taking the flowers gratefully.  


Komaru smiled understandingly. “I get it, it’s annoying. Kotoko was complaining she lost sleep too.” She and Chiaki shared a soft laugh. Kotoko was one of the four kids that Komaru and her wife Toko took care of. Their parents had been bandits, and had left the children in the south woods some winter day a few years back. Toko and Komaru had been the only one willing to take care of them, as well as having the biggest apartment, seeing as it was above the town’s large library. They had room, and Toko apparently had a soft spot for the kids.  


“Also, I don’t know what they want from me,” she sighed, removing last week’s flowers from the vase on her desk and putting in the new ones. Komaru took the old ones and hung them up to dry out, knowing Chiaki’s routines.  


“Didn’t you hear? I think they want you to do something about the monster,” Komaru laughed, dramatically exaggerating the word.  


“What do you think about it?” Chiaki the asked, hoisting herself onto the table and letting her legs dangle. “I mean, everyone knows the story, and most people stay out of the woods. I’ve only been in it once, and it as definitely scary.”  


Komaru perched on the windowsill, the glass covered by a thick curtain. “Honestly? I’m not sure. Toko actually mentioned it, she thinks it could be a possibility.” The dark haired girl shrugged.  


“But I’ve researched this kind of thing. I know almost every mythical creature, and nothing could’ve done that to that man. At least nothing that matches with the legend. Of course when you think monster, it could’ve maybe been something like a griffin. But it just doesn’t fit the story.”  


“He was calling it a ‘she.’ That seems weird, so it probably resembled a human in some way, right?” Komaru offered.  


“A sphinx then? But I don’t think they’re frequently found in this area.” Chiaki chewed her lip, racking her brain.  


“Should we ask him?”  


“I don’t think he needs to be asked. He seems perfectly fine at taking initiative and saying whatever he pleases,” Chiaki shrugged.  


“Hmm.” Komaru tapped her chin, though Chiaki knew there was nothing to really think about. She’d have to go talk to him no matter what, even though he was probably too drunk to remember anything. There was no way anything he’d say was true.  


“Alright, well I think you should at least go help him,” Komaru said, pushing herself off the windowsill. “I’m sorry, I should go. I need to finish replenishing the flowers. But tell you what, I’ll ask Toko to look for any other mythical creature reference books, just for kicks.”  


Chiaki smiled, knowing full well that she’d read all those books alread. “Thank you,” she said, pushing herself off her desk. “Well, wish me luck.”  


“You can do it, I believe in you.” Komaru smiled back, and showed herself out. Alone again, Chiaki let out a sigh and went to work pulling back the curtains. The crowd was still outside, and a few people noticed her. She recognized people on the outskirts of the mob, those who were just watching. Her friends waved to her, and she waved back. Finally, she flipped over the ‘closed’ sign so that it read ‘open.’ The day had begun.  


She didn’t wait for anyone to come in, instead she marched right outside and through the crowd. They let her through, murmuring their greetings as they quieted.  


“Excuse me sir? Is there a reason you decided to form a mob outside my house?” she asked, crossing her arms and looking up at the man, still standing on the fountain. Upon closer inspection, she could see how truly banged up he was.  


Scrapes and cuts everywhere, and his face was a disaster. It looked as if claws had been raked over his face. Maybe they were. His clothes were stained with dirt, puke, and blood, and a satchel was slung over his should. his expression was wild and deranged.  


“You! You’re the witch right?” he pointed down at her, eyes wide. Chiaki crossed her arms over her chest.  


“That’s me,” she said curtly.  


He jumped down off the fountain, landing hard on his feet and temporarily losing his balance. Chiaki took a step back; he reaked. But before she could get too far away, he grabbed the sides of her arms.  


“You gotta help us. The monster—she’s gonna get us all!” he cried.  


She flinched at his rotten breath and attempted to shove him off of her. “You seem to be confused, I’m not that type of—”  


“No listen, you gotta—”  


“Hey, easy?” A hand reached out from the crowd and pushed the man back, making him release his hold on Chiaki. “You’re clearly not from here. There’s no monster, and Chiaki here is a healer.”  
It was Kaede, one of the town hunters, and one of Chiaki’s close friends. She was glaring at the man, who blinked and struggled to look at her. A few stray pieces of bright blonde hair framed her face, having escaped the high ponytail that showed off her undercut, and she was still wearing her hunting gear.  


“And what’re you supposed to be?” he slurred. “A witch expert?”  


“No,” she said calmly. “Her friend. So ease off, I’m pretty sure I’d know the type of witch she was.”  


“Thank you, Kaede,” Chiaki sighed, before crossing her arms again. “Look. I’ll heal your wounds for a small fee, then you have to leave, okay? There’s no monster in the woods. You’re drunk.”  


“No one goes in those woods ‘cause they’re just bad luck. Bad things happen, so we stay out. You’re a traveler, so you didn’t know. Rookie mistake,” the blonde smirked.  


The crowd around them murmured their response. It as true, the thick woods that surrounded the north side of town were avoided at all times. The back woods was where they went, in the south.  


“Please, come with me, let me fix you up, and you can be on your merry way. Sound good?” Chiaki asked patiently, allowing Kaede to guide him into her shop, still holding his shoulder.  


“Wait, please. Could someone… could someone go? Into the woods,” he planted his feet, not allowing Kaede to move him an inch more.  


“She just said, we don’t like to—”  


“I have money!” he cried.  


“Come on, just let her fix you up before she gets annoyed,” Kaede huffed.  


“No no, look!” He fumbled with a satchel slung over his shoulder, and after riffling through it for a moment, he pulled out a small, but bulging sack. He tossed it to Chiaki, who peered inside it curiously.  


The witch sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh man,” she murmured. It was all coins, solid gold and glittering in the morning sun. More than she could ever save up, more than she’d probably ever earned in her entire life.  


This certainly changed things. With this, she’d be able to go anywhere, just pack up her things and leave. She loved her friends, but she hated the small town. There were things to see, things that suddenly seemed excitingly close.  


“So?” the man asked earnestly.  


She gripped the bag in her hand and slowly tore her gaze from the coins.  


“What would I need to do again?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoa. this was the first batch of stuff released for this fic. expect much more to come, i'm super excited to share this. slowly but surely, i'm getting it done. hang in there, updates may be slow but i promise i'm not forsaking this one. it's become a project for me and my girlfriend, so it's not going anywhere any time soon. but hey, thank you so much for reading. i can't wait to continue this :D


	5. diary entry #2

_September 23,  
_

_For the past few days I’ve been waking up expecting something different. Expecting to roll over and see him there. I don’t know if I want that or if I’m scared of that. Then there’s the mornings I wake up and expect to be home. It’s almost been a year since I left, and I still sometimes forget I’m not home. It’s all my fault. What happened last year at the ball. I let myself get captured. I wasn’t thinking. And now look at me. I’m stuck. What a pathetic mess of a princess. My kingdom is better without me. I know it. All I was to them was a ditsy, stupid princess who read too many books and let herself get kidnapped and then kept by a monster of a man. Sometimes I think about what would happen if anyone from the kingdom found me. I’m of no use to them anymore. Who will want me as a queen, or as a wife? I’m useless. My virtue is gone. I’m nothing. I tried to run out again. I don’t know what I was expecting. Same thing, I run, and it feels as if my neck is connected by some sort of chain, that pulls taut the second I try to leave the grounds. My body can, but not my neck. Its like there’s a heavy collar that chokes me when I try to leave. There aren’t any weapons here either, at least nothing that would hurt me. I read once that a vampire needs to be killed by someone driving a wooden stake through their heart. I hope someone does. I don’t want to be here forever. I just want it to be over._


	6. chapter III

“He wants you to hunt a monster,” Chiaki’s apprentice, Himiko, asked flatly. “You, a healer witch.”  


Chiaki nodded, tossing the bag of gold from hand to hand. “Look at this, Himi. And this is just to start with. This is more than enough to pack my things and go.” Night had fallen, and the shop was closed. The man had passed out not long after telling her exactly what he wanted. Chiaki then tended to his wounds, and when he woke up, she directed him to the inn.  


“Yeah, so why don’t you just go? You’ve said a million times its more than enough,” Himiko sat, legs crossed on one of the plush chairs in the back parlor, where she kept most of her medicine as well as the bed where he patients rested.  


“I thought about it, but what if there’s—there’s actually something out there?” She was pacing across the wood floor, continuing to toss around the bag of money, in disbelief.  


“Oh, so now suddenly you’re a monster hunter?” Himiko sighed, resting her elbows on her knees as she leaned her head on her fists.  


Chiaki stopped. “Well, n-no. But I know enough. I could be,” she huffed.  


“You know about them, that doesn’t mean you can fight them.” The red haired apprentice glanced up at the witch, raising her eyebrows.  


“Maybe I can… Maybe I can be strategic about this. I’ll just need some books…” She trailed off, looking at the ceiling. “I can hex it or something. They’re not my strong suit, but I could manage something, I’m sure.”  


“Chiaki?” Himiko attempted to interrupt her.  


“Kaede and Komaru could help me with ingredients, Toko and… Toko and Chihiro, they could help me with gathering information.”  


“Chiaaaaaki?”  


Either she was too lost in thought, or she was choosing to ignore her, but Chiaki continued. “I know I have books on spells like this, I just don’t use them, but I know they’re here. I probably keep them upstairs in the living room. Nagito would know, he dusts. I should probably—”  


“Chiaki!”  


“Hmm?” She turned her head, looking at Himiko with wide eyes. The short girl groaned and leaned back in her seat, visibly restless.  


“Please. Sit down or something. You’re seriously stressing me out.” She rubbed her face with her hands, squeezing her eyes shut. “You’ve been like this since he left.”  


“Oh, sorry,” Chiaki said, offering Himiko a small smile as she sat up on the chair besides her.  


“Thank you,” she sighed.  


“Okay but, what if I can reason with it—I mean her, I guess. Instead of hunting and killing her, maybe we can find some kind of way to communicate?”  


“You’re still going on?” the red head groaned from behind her hands.  


“Himi, listen to me. I can just tell her, uh, somehow, to leave us all alone! Or maybe we could come to some kind of understanding with her?” Chiaki said eagerly.  


Himiko dragged her hands down her face, distorting her features. “You wanna reason with a monster.”  


“Well—yeah, and besides, she might not be as bad as everyone thinks. Read me the exact legend again, please? The one in the—”  


“The one in the official town documents. I know. I’ve only read out loud a billion times already.” The young apprentice sighed, though Chiaki knew she didn’t mean anything by it. “Here it is. ‘Don’t go into the north woods, we tell passing travelers. Take the mountain road, its long and steep, but better than what awaits in those woods. The land is cursed, and if you go far enough in, you’ll find a castle. The castle is the heart of it, holding a wicked monster that feeds on all those who dare enter it’s domain.’ Happy?”  


Chiaki nodded, and tapped her chin. “So it’s ‘all who enter it’s domain…’ I wonder…” she trailed off, humming to herself.  


“Don’t do that. Either speak your thoughts or tell me to leave, don’t sit there humming and leaving me out,” Himiko pouted.  


“So you are intrigued then.”  


“I wanna know what’s going on, that’s all,” she grumbled.  


Chiaki laughed softly. “Okay, so what I’m wondering is whether or not it, or she, is tethered to the castle somehow. But does that matter? And how does that fit in with the woods being cursed as a whole?” she pondered.  


“Hmm… Maybe it’s not the monster itself. The castle sounds pretty bad, don’t you think?” Himiko offered.  


“Yeah, you might be right. But…” Chiaki sighed. “It’s getting late. I need to pack my things, I’m heading out tomorrow after saying goodbye to my friends, you know, just in case.”  


“In case you get eaten by a big scary monster lady,” Himiko laughed, hopping off her seat.  


“Yeah. That. Also, you know you’re gonna be in charge of the shop while I’m gone, right? I can trust you?” Chiaki raised her eyebrows.  


Himiko grinned. “Of course. Plus I know Kaede and Komaru can help me out. Don’t worry.”  


“Thanks Himiko. I’ll come say goodbye to you and Kirumi tomorrow, okay?” Chiaki smiled, and blew out the candles that lit the room.  


“Sure thing. Goodnight, Chiaki,” Himiko called over her shoulder as she made her way to the front of the store and out the door.  


“Goodnight, Himi,” Chiaki replied. She heart the door open and close, and then she was alone. She blew out the candles and pulled the curtains shut, flipping the sign to ‘closed,’ and made her way upstairs.  


“Oh, hey, Chiaki. Finally done?” Nagito was crouched beside his mannequin. A new dress, nearly finished, stood gracefully on the model as Nagito added the finishing touches. The bottom skirt was mauve, with large, visible pockets, and the top was white with three quarter sleeves.  


“Yes, hopefully. I should probably eat something, then I’ll be headed to bed.” She let out a yawn, stretching her arms above her head as she reached the top of the stairs.  


“Oh, I think we still have some ham in the cold box. I haven’t eaten yet,” Nagito offered her a smile over his shoulder.  


“Okay, well you should. I’ll split it.” Chiaki opened the cold box, a massive chest with enchanted ice that kept their food cold. Inside was indeed a small hunk of ham, as well as some juice, a large jug of water, and milk. She took out the ham and water and went to work cutting up the ham so the two could share. “What’re you working on? It looks nice.”  


“I’m glad you think so, Chiaki, because it’s for you!” he smiled brightly. Chiaki looked up from the ham she was now cutting up on the table, eyebrows raised. “Yeah, well, you’ve got a big day tomorrow. I wanted to make sure you had the right thing to wear, you know? The skirt’s got tons of pockets, and I’ve got a pair of shorts that’ll go underneath. So it’s practical and pretty.”  


A warm smile spread across Chiaki’s face and she placed her hand over her chest, touched by the sweet action. “You didn’t have to do that for me.”  


Nagito held up his hands. “Of course I did! Business was slow today, plus I wanted to be sure you’d be comfortable and have room for all your stuff. And of course still be able to move. It’s nothing, really.”  


“No, it isn’t nothing. Thank you so much, Nagito. I really appreciate it,” Chiaki smiled. “Here, dinner’s ready, cold ham and water. I’m too tired to heat it up, unless you want me to.” She split the pieces of ham onto two plates, and poured glasses of water.  


“The cold ham is perfect, thanks.” Her white haired roommate stood up straight and then took his seat at the small table in the kitchen. He sat on one of the two opposite facing wooden stools, already set with utensils and napkins. “So, what happened when you brought him in?”  


Chiaki took a bite of ham, then a sip of water. “He was crazy. Passed out almost as soon as he laid down. Saved me a headache though. Then I showed him where the inn was. Himi and I spent the last hour or so discussing—well, it was more me talking and her listening.”  


“So what’s the plan?” Nagito asked after swallowing a piece of ham and dabbing his mouth with his napkin.  


“Reasoning with it, or ah, her, if I can. If not, I guess I’ll have to… you know. Take care of her.” Chiaki swallowed, trying to push the though from her mind. She was hoping for the better option, just reasoning, communicating. Somehow.  


“Kill her?” Nagito glanced up from his food.  


“Hopefully not,” Chiaki answered quickly. “But, if it comes to that, I’ll be prepared.”  


Nagito nodded. “I think you’ll be alright. You’re resourceful, I believe in you.” He offered her a small smile as he finished up his dinner. “You should get to bed soon, I know everyone’s going to want to say goodbye.”  


Chiaki finished the last on her ham and downed the last of her water. “Right. Big day tomorrow.” She returned the smile, and wiped her mouth with her napkin.  


“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the dishes,” Nagito waved Chiaki off, who laughed in reply.  


“Alright alright. Goodnight, Nagito,” Chiaki smiled, and went upstairs. She went about gathering her things, the books Toko had brought in earlier, and tearing various pages she thought she’d need off her wall, packing her essentials in her enchanted satchel, and the rest in the bag that would go over her horse. She included a change of clothes and undergarments, fresh socks, dried herbs and little charms, everything fitting in the massive interior of her satchel. Awhile ago, she’d learned a spell that made things larger on the inside, basically creating a personal magical hole in space. It could only fit inanimate objects though, living things couldn’t fit and couldn’t live in the bag.  


The only problem was, though the bag remained small, the weight of everything inside was still present, so she still had to utilize the large knapsack that would go over her horse.  
Once she was confident she had everything and that she wouldn’t realize she’d forgotten anything in the morning, she bathed and put on her sleepwear, and laid down.  
She closed her eyes and attempted to take the time to calm herself and make herself. She was tired, exhausted actually, from the strain and stress she hadn’t realized that was present. Her eyes were heavy, but her mind was racing.  


What kind of monster was it? Would she have to kill it? How would she communicate with it?  


Would it hurt her?  


Would she die?  


She rolled over, adjusting her position, so that she was facing the window. She had reopened it, the cool night breeze floating in and gently caressing her face. It was September, the cold months would be coming. When she returned, she’d have to make sure that everyone in town’s fire charms and sunshine spells were up to par.  


She forced the thoughts from her mind, all of that would have to wait, including the day ahead. Letting the breeze clear her mind, she drifted off to a peaceful sleep.


End file.
